Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-03-23
THE PRESIDENT is VEXED.
GOOD MEN FOR THE COMMERCE CON-
MISSION HARD TO GET.

The Comm ission Considered a Powerful
Political Engine by the President IL In
the Control OF Bad Men-Men Whs
Have Declined to serVe-The Present
Slate-Cooley and Morrison,
WASHINGTON CITY, March 81 The pres
ident is disappointed at the failure of promi'
nent men in the country to assist him In ths
enforcement of tho interstate conlmercs
act At least a dozen Of those who have
been asked have declined, and he win o
compelled to take the best timber he can
get. He has written and urged and even mn
plored those whom he believed were best
fitted for the duty to accept positions ON the
commission, and their refusal to do so has
caused the delay in making the appoint
ments. A gentleman who is very near TO
the president said to me Friday morning
that he was lying awake nights thfnkiHg of
means that might be used to induce good
men to accept the positions on the commits
sion. He has three considerations in his
mind-frst, to distribute the appointments
geographically, so that all portions of
the country shall be properly represented; !;
second, to select men who will command the
confidence of the public as well as the rail-
roads, men of broad views, liberal ideas,
and judicial minds; and third, to a void poll
tics.
The president considers this commission
the most powerful political engine that has
ever been created in this country. At least
in the control of bad men he believes it
could be made so. To keep the commission
out of politics and to prevent any interfer-
ence with political movements he thinks is
necessary, and to accomplish that purpose
he must select men who are above partisan
influences. When a candidate is recon-
mended to him on strong political grounds
he at once checks him off the list as one not
wanted.
The slate ct present is William r. Morri-
son of Illinois, Thomas NJ Cooley of Michi-
gan, Commissioner Bragg of Alabama, Com
missioner Herman of New York, and ex-
Governor Robinson of Massachusetts,. The
man who is being waited for is Robinson
He has been offered the place and has de-
clined it. He came to Washington at the
presidents request and had long interview
Friday. The president hopes to induce him
to accept. Robinson suggested ex-Attorney
General Devens, who was in Hayes cabinet
and was a judge of the Massachusetts, state
courts before and since. 1t is likely that
CAGuSA AS VI 1GODlIlSOu Will ~ Ou Gu0
and as soon as it is definitely determined the
names will be announced.
Cooley is more likely to be chairman of the
commission than Morrison. The president is
disposed to treat Cooley with the greatest
possible distinction. He was on the original
slate, one of the first men the president
thought of in come ction with the office, aud
the tender was made to him at the same
time it was made to Mr.. Thurman. Both de-
clined, and broke up all the presidents plans.
He went to work on another slate, and, in
fact, has formed several, which have been
broken as fast as they were made, and could
find no man who answered the demands Of
the place as we'll as Cooley. There was
good deal of correspondence between the |
president and judge, and the latter finally,
being appealed to by the president, agreed to
accept the Craftsmanship for two years or SO
till the system was fully organized and the |
intricacies of the law Strengthened out. There |
will be some demonstration perhaps, !
on tka part of Jacksonian Democrats
at the selection of a Republican for the
but Cooley is not much of
party man, and the Republican leaders
would not recommend him for that reason